Fungus

[william]

sorry if i have posted this in the wrong place, but it doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.

i've found four fruiting fungi in my soon to be triturus tank, should i remove them?

there are four fruiting heads so far, they have a cap span of 1-1.5cm and are a translucent ivory colour. they stand about1.5cm of the ground. they don't seem to be rooted into the soil itself, but they ara attached to pebbles and rocks. the stem has tiny bumps on it. the cap isn't convex, but flat with a dimple in the center. can anyone help me, are they dangerous and should i remove them?

 

[benjamin]

I've had mushrooms, if that's what you mean, in many terrestrial tanks and they haven't caused a problem, they only last a short time before they shrivle up and die. The'll spore and maybe you will end up with more eventually. They probably won't poison your caudates, but try and keep away from the brightly coloured ones.

 

[william]

okay thanks, all the same i think i'll remove them

 

[benjamin]

Oh OK, I geus the comfort of the owner is important, they'll grow back anyway. Mushrooms form big underground (or what ever it is they're attached to) networks, these last for many years, all you're doing by removing the mushrooms is temporarily dissabling their ability to reproduce, if you want to eliminate the fungus completely you'ld have to change the soil, the fibers of the fungus are probably established throughout the substrate of your terrarium. The main fiberous part is called the mycelium and the fibers are called hyphae.

 

[william]

i know about fungi biology,

but if they are only attached to rocks then they should be easy to dislodge.

 

[jesper]

Remember that fungi in water usually means very bad water quality(I got some in a bare bottomed tank, I went back to substrate bottom immedeately). Also remember that fungi doesn't go well together with other life in general as they usually excrete toxic substances thus making the environment unsuitable.

I read that cork bark islands are quite bad(AG Urodela board I think..) since fungi loves the dampness created there. I have had this problem myself and I have stopped using cork bark islands.

Just my two ören

 

[william]

well the fungi have gone, they were land not water, but they were near the water's edge, we shall see if they come back

 

[edward]

I've used cork in various aquatic enclosures for years without any problems. I've even used small sections to create artificial streams. Some of the cork in some of the enclosures at work has been there long enough to become totally covered in moss.
I'd be interested in hearing any supporting evidence for cork being bad.

It is actually nearly impossible to prevent fungal growth in aquatic system as saprolegnia (I think I misspelled that) is pretty much present in all water exposed to air. With respect to poor water quality it is often a pathogen (either primary or secondary) in stressed and/or injured aquatic animal and stress can be a result of poor water quality.

Is it possible that the fungi in question are actually the fruiting bodies of slime molds as I would expect to see those in that sort of situation.

Ed